Halmstad, Sweden – Halmstad University, together with the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (Germany) and the Slovak University of Technology, tested a humanoid “traffic robot” designed to help schoolchildren cross roads more safely. The trial took place at Karloveská 61 Elementary School in Bratislava, Slovakia, in cooperation with the Bratislava City Police.
The robot can interact with pedestrians, cyclists, and drivers using gestures and natural language, while also communicating with automated vehicles through wireless technologies. Its 360-degree monitoring ensures constant attention to its surroundings.
The project, led by Professor Alexey Vinel of Halmstad University, aims to explore how different age groups respond to robots in traffic environments. Students’ feedback, along with sensory and telemetric data, will be analysed as part of ongoing research within the Horizon Europe framework.
Dean Ivan Kotuliak of the Slovak University of Technology highlighted the importance of combining artificial intelligence, robotics, user experience, and social perception. “Testing robots in traffic – even in a simulated environment – is a step towards safer, technologically supported mobility of the future,” he said.
Researchers believe humanoid traffic robots could play a vital role in improving road safety for vulnerable users such as children.
Source: Halmstad University / Slovak University of Technology
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